black lights

[Yvonne G]

I know that some of you don't like to use black lights, so this thread is not for you.

I buy my black lights by the case online. I normally pay around $3.50 per bulb. It's a Sylvania, black 60 watt bulb.

Incandescent bulbs are getting hard to find because of the new compact fluorescent craze. I knew I was going to have to search online because no one here in town carries them any more.

I was driving home from the store and saw "Party Time" on one of the marquees in the shopping center I was driving by. I thought, what the heck, and pulled in.

They are setting up for halloween right now, and they had a BIG supply of incandescent black bulbs. AND...I only paid 1.99 apiece!!!

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

I've never heard of using black lights for animals. What is their purpose?
I'm liking the idea, so I'm all ears! (Well, eyes and fingertips as the case may be...LOL)

 

[lisa127]

That's a great idea....there is a party store near me I can check out. The black bulbs I normally use are party lights that I buy at Lowe's.

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I've never heard of using black lights for animals. What is their purpose?
I'm liking the idea, so I'm all ears! (Well, eyes and fingertips as the case may be...LOL)

I use black lights for boxies because they don't like overly bright lighting and the UVB tube gives them all the lighting they want/require. I also use them for heat on animals that I may want to leave gentle night heat on. I just hook up a dimmer and put it on high during the day and low at night for a gentler heat. You can't really see light from black bulbs so they can be used at night without disturbing the animals.

 

[Yvonne G]

I used to have CHEs (Ceramic Heat Emitter) in my tortoise sheds for night time overhead heat. I soon discovered that they are very expensive to run. I don't know why it is, but a 100 watt CHE burns more electricity than a 100 watt incandescent bulb does. So I switched out all the CHE's and replaced them with black lights. The ones I bought were 60 watt, but they were able to provide enough heat to help the pig blankets keep the sheds warm and toasty during the night. Plus, they don't provide any light. They are similar to having the moon shining in the shed.

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Thank you so much!! I have two CHEs running now and I am not thrilled with the increased electric bill.

I will hit up the Halloween store now!!


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[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Yes, the party store! But also, if you have a 99 Cent Only store, they have them right now, 75 watt I think, in the Halloween aisle. Woo hoo! I stock up every year, too. Once the season is over, they are 3.99 at Target.

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Dollar Tree, HERE I COME!!


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[lisa127]

Thanks for the dollar store tip!

 

[Elohi]

Thanks for the tip. I'd been considering them because my boxie isn't a fan of the bright light from her heat bulb.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Last year I ran into the same thing so I bought a case at Kmart of the Halloween black lights. I soon discovered that after about a month of use the glass bulb separates from the metal base. It happened to every one of the bulbs in that case.
So irritating.
I'm thinking since all my chelonia are adults maybe the normal warmth of my house during the night would be warm enough and with a good basking light in the daytime they will be warm enough...

 

[lisa127]

I just found out my daughter got a seasonal job at the party store near me. Maybe I can get a discount too!

 

[ascott]

Friken sweet.....I love those bulbs...thank you.

 

[Elohi]

I bought a 75w black incandescent and I'm finding it's only keeping the warm side of the tank at 80F.



Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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Whoops, hit send too soon. I meant, do I need 100w to get the temp warmer or will a different brand work better? I have a zoo med bulb.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[Yvonne G]

I bought a 75w black incandescent and I'm finding it's only keeping the warm side of the tank at 80F.



Elohi🌎(Earth)[TURTLE]

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Whoops, hit send too soon. I meant, do I need 100w to get the temp warmer or will a different brand work better? I have a zoo med bulb.


Elohi🌎(Earth)[TURTLE]

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I only use them for night time heat...so 80F would be a bit too hot for my way of thinking. At night I like to have a bit of a drop, so I strive for about 75F for babies and room temp, or 65F and up for bigger torts. If my house is too cold (and it gets pretty cold in the winter, as I use a wood stove to provide heat and I'm sometimes too lazy to make a fire), I cover the habitats with aluminum foil, lights and all.

 

[Elohi]

What do you use during the day for heat?


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

What do you use during the day for heat?
Elohi🌎(Earth)[TURTLE]

Sunshine is the best. Free UVB, weeeeee.
Inside, a ceramic heat emitter or a regular light bulb.
The black bulb goes on in the evening so they can get the darkness in order to rest properly.

 

[Yvonne G]

For those of mine that aren't outside (most of them are outside), I use a Mercury Vapor Bulb. It provides heat and UVB all in one bulb.

 

[cemmons12]

Thanks for that info Yvonne!

 

[Elohi]

For some reason I was thinking the black light replaced bright light (bulb) heat, since they don't really like the brightness. Right now I have the habitat in front of a big window in my dining room so that she has daytime light without it being direct. The window is on the side of my house so there is very little direct light that ever makes it straight through that window (thanks to my neighbors tall house LOL)
It's where I keep a lot of my starter plants and baby trees.
The tank is currently on the floor until I find the perfect stand/buffet/hutch thing to put her tank on.




Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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Mercury vapor bulb...LOL I think I need to google. I'm not certain what that is?


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[lisa127]

For some reason I was thinking the black light replaced bright light (bulb) heat, since they don't really like the brightness. Right now I have the habitat in front of a big window in my dining room so that she has daytime light without it being direct. The window is on the side of my house so there is very little direct light that ever makes it straight through that window (thanks to my neighbors tall house LOL)
It's where I keep a lot of my starter plants and baby trees.
The tank is currently on the floor until I find the perfect stand/buffet/hutch thing to put her tank on.



Elohi🌎(Earth)[TURTLE]

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Mercury vapor bulb...LOL I think I need to google. I'm not certain what that is?


Elohi🌎(Earth)[TURTLE]

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I do use the black lights for daytime heat for boxies. They get their visible daytime light from their UVB tubes.